A popular choice for many people deciding to take a career break abroad is to spend at least some of their time away working as a career break volunteer.
Working as a career break volunteer enables you to travel to some exciting places and, at the same time, do something positive and constructive with your time whilst you're away. What's more, the benefits of working as a career break volunteer are mutually beneficial for the both the career break volunteers themselves and the volunteer projects they choose to work for as a career break volunteer. Career break volunteer projects obviously benefit from gaining the services of enthusiastic unpaid career break volunteers and the career break volunteers benefit by gaining a unique insight in to the everyday life and culture of the country they are working in.
The personal sense of satisfaction and achievement you gain is the most important aspect of being a career break volunteer. However, working as a career break volunteer also has some more practical career-related benefits when you return home. Being able to say that you have worked as a career break volunteer looks great on a CV and, working as a career break volunteer, you will inevitably have picked up some useful new skills and experiences during the course of your work.
If you like the idea of becoming a career break volunteer it's worth considering getting hold of some sponsorship to help towards your career break fundraising. If you are taking an unpaid sabbatical, and are returning to your usual job after your gap year finishes, you have nothing to lose in approaching your employer to see if they will sponsor your work as a career break volunteer. Sponsoring worthwhile causes can be excellent publicity for a company and the worst thing they can do is say no! Other ways to raise sponsorship money for your career break volunteer placement could involve anything from organising a ‘bring and buy' sale at work to training for an event such as a marathon. When you really apply yourself it's amazing how much money you can raise in a relatively short space of time and the process is often a great deal of fun too.
If you are passionate about caring for animals, working as an animal conservation career break volunteer is an exciting and hugely rewarding option. It's possible to work as a wildlife conservation career break volunteer all over the world helping to care for a diverse range of wildlife - from river Amazon Turtle Conservation Volunteer to black rhinos in Zimbabwe.
Career break volunteer - People Projects
Another career break volunteer option is to ‘give something back' to some of the countries you visit on your gap year by getting involved with a project that helps disadvantaged people or communities. Again, it's possible to work as a career break volunteer in this field throughout the globe on a wide range of rewarding projects - from caring for homeless street kids to re-building houses destroyed by the 2004 Boxing Day Asian Tsunami.
Career break volunteer - Environmental Conservation
If you would like to be a responsible tourist on your gap year by helping to care for the environment there are numerous ways you can get involved with this as a career break volunteer. Working as an environmental conservation career break volunteer could involve anything from helping to raise awareness of environmental issues in the Galapagos Islands to working as a career break volunteer on the Conservation Volunteer programme in the Aussie outback.
In order to explore all of the ‘Career break volunteer' options that are available it's worth spending some time exploring the Gap Year for Grown Ups' website. Alternatively, if you want to speak to someone in person give one of the GYFGU team of expert travel advisers a call.
A never-to-be forgotten cruise on a tall ship around the Great Barrier Reef, with the chance to snorkel, swim and discover the area. Learn the basics of sailing or just relax and soak up the sun.
Family Friendly! Train to be a real life Australian cowboy (or cowgirl) and experience life on a ranch in the Australian outback. You’ll be taught the fine art of Australian farming and traditional ranch skills.
Family Friendly! Live the life of a cowboy or cowgirl, riding the lush lands of rural New Zealand. Explore Auckland before improving your riding skills, getting to know the sheep and trying your hand at lassoing. Great fun!
To experience all things Cambodian, this is the trip for you. You
will spend time in bustling Phnom Penh discovering it’s French colonial and Khmer
architecture, its glorious past and a more recent tragic one. The tour then takes in
Siem Reap, gateway to the glorious temples of Angkor, jewel of the Khmer Empire. Minimum age 12 years.
Learn to sail, in paradise. Start from scratch or build on what you know to gain one of three certificates. Hands-on experience, expert theory tuition and onboard accommodation make for a comprehensive programme. Minimum age 10 years.
Family Friendly!
The Nullarbor Desert Experience is a once in a lifetime trip; it expertly combines the outback, the desert, whale-watching, ranges, wildlife, art, wineries, national parks, and the saltbush together with experiencing the true Aussie way of life.
This Martial Arts Academy offers one of the best environments around the globe to be trained in this historic martial art. Situated at the foot of the Mountains of the Fujian Province, South East China, you will study directly from some of the best Masters to be found in China.
See the most spectacular sights that the north of India has to offer on this 10-day tour taking in all the major highlights! See the worlds largest and most beautiful love token, witness the worship and devotion on the banks of the Ganges, get a bit more up close to the days of the British Raj and meet the lovely and colourful locals amongst many other things. Minimum age 12 years.
This tour offers you an unforgettable experience in a lesser discovered part of a wonderful country. You will have the opportunity to enjoy the vaious choices of mouth watering cuisine on offer and get properly involved in the real Indian way of life. Minimum age 12 years.
The Olympics was a fantastic showcase for China. Now people from all over the world are heading East to discover the delights of this incredibly diverse country. Our four-week programme gives you the perfect opportunity to experience real life China in amongst the amazing peaked scenery of Guilin county. You will spend time learning the language and getting to know the Chinese culture as well as spending time helping to develop the community.
Live the outdoor life and pick up the skills needed to work on a ranch. Learn to muster, horse ride and more. Take a paid job and work on a ranch afterwards or just learn for fun!
This programme deals with the rehabilitation and care of abused horses in the Wild Coast area of South Africa, and is a must for anyone who really loves horses. You will ride on trails through the dramatic scenery of the Wild Coast, passing through beach lagoons and lush green game reserves.
Located in the Borneo jungle, volunteers live and work alongside native communities, playing an integral part in aiding the development of the area whilst retaining traditional ways of life. Time will be spent working in village schools both teaching, and helping with refurbishments.
The project is situated at the foot of the Drakensberg Mountains to the west of the renowned Kruger National Park. The emphasis is in offering the students a unique bush experience on horseback, walking and driving, where attention is paid not only to the animals, but also to all aspects of local ecology. Volunteers complete an informal course to learn all about conservation in Africa.
Watch the wonderful effects of this invaluable therapy as you work with disabled children, helping them to build up their confidence and to get fitter and healthier. This project is ideal for lovers of horses and children and is especially valuable in a country like Venezuela due to the limited resources that disabled children have access to.
Master the basics of rock climbing above a truly spectacular city. Learn the ropes(!), and in your free time, relax on the beach or explore Rio de Janeiro’s many other attractions.
A chance to try some new sports. Learn to surf and kite surf, go white water rafting and take a forest canopy tour. A sunset cruise and Spanish lessons make for the perfect short adventure!
Hike and bike your way around New Zealand, the extreme sports capital of the world, on this ultimate adrenaline fuelled adventure tour. The opportunity to see New Zealand's amazing landscape from a different point of view means it will be an experience you will never forget!
Take a behind-the-scenes look at Thailand with one of three tours. Learn about the country’s language and culture, work with elephants and train as a mahout or help out in an orphanage or school.
Discover why so many people love Bolivia. Take Spanish lessons and learn to salsa, do some valuable volunteer work with children or animals, visit the highest city in the world, meet the indigenous Tacana people and lots more.
The Trans-Siberian Railway is the original and classic great railway adventure from St Petersburg to Beijing, crossing 10 time zones and covering more than 7800km. It is the world’s longest train route and is a unique way to see Russia, Mongolia and China on a career break.
Embark on an adventure between the city of Durban on its Golden Coast, to the spectacular, unsurpassable city of Cape Town, along South Africas green and beautiful Garden Route. Minimum age 12 years.
See a stunning country from all angles. Trek through national parks, take a Spanish language course, go white water rafting, meet local craftspeople, climb a (safe!) volcano, help with a community project – and relax on the beach!
Grand Canyon exploration has never been so easy! Ride the Colorado River on specialised motorised rafts (making this 8-day trip suitable for all fitness levels) through one of the greatest natural sites in the USA.
Whet your appetite for Indochina with glimpses of Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Take in temples, monuments, markets and bays with trips Angor Wat, Phnom Penh, Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi and more. Minimum age 12 years.
The Ultimate South African adventure! Tour South Africa’s world famous Kruger NP, work on projects with underprivileged communities in Swaziland and flop on an Indian Ocean beach and relax in Mozambique.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live the life of a real-life cowboy? Then you won’t want to miss out on this fantastic western experience.
Walk with lions and work with rhinos on a programme that gives you an unforgettable taste of Africa. You’ll get an incredible insight into their lives, and you’ll take part in vital conservation work to save them from extinction. Learning bush survival skills, paddling down the mighty Zambezi River and seeing the even mightier Victoria Falls make for some wonderful memories, not to mention glorious photos! This is a rewarding programme that benefits an amazing country.
Embark on an unforgettable winter adventure to Canada, as you learn the skills to look after your own team of traditional huskies and explore survival, rescue and wilderness first aid.
Feel a huge sense of achievement after trekking to the base camp of the world’s highest mountain - the effort is most definitely worth it! Top it off with a jungle safari and a volunteer placement in a Nepalese village.
Discover why so many travellers love this part of the world! Volunteer in India, spend eight weeks in Thailand and work with the wildlife in Malaysia. You’ll get to see things many people miss.
Spend 5 months or more on an amazing gap year in Latin America. This programme provides all the structure you need, with lots of activities including Spanish lessons, volunteering with wildlife or disadvantaged street children.
On this popular round the world trip, we combine travelling with a number of rewarding volunteer placements in 4 continents. Starting in South Africa you will experience the diverse cultures and landscapes of South Africa - India – Thailand – Australia – New Zealand – USA.
In this well structured complete round the world trip, spend up to an entire year travelling, volunteering, learning and exploring 4 continents. An amazing trip taking you to South Africa – India – Thailand – Malaysia – Australia - New Zealand – Ecuador and The Galapagos Islands.
After redundancy, Sally decided to see the world. She enjoyed our South Africa Wildlife Course so much that within 48 hours of arriving back in the UK she booked onto the Malaysia Orangutan Experience and the Thai Adventure! Read more..
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ideas and options for an adult gap year.
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